JWT names Burns as CEO

JWT has filled the chief executive role left vacant by the departure of
Simon Bolton last December, hiring Alison Burns, a former president of
Fallon New York.

Burns, 42, who has been working on a consultancy basis in the US for the
past two years, joins on 27 February.

Her task is to turn around the London shop, which lost £60 million
in billings last year, and hire a new planning director to replace Russ
Lidstone, who quit to join Euro RSCG London last week.

She will work closely with Toby Hoare and Nick Bell, the agency's
executive chairman and executive creative director respectively.
However, there are no plans to replace Mark Cadman, JWT's managing
director, who left with Lidstone.

Burns, who is British, said: "JWT's client list is mouth-watering and
fits my experience and passion for big brands that matter to a broad
consumer church."

She started her career in the UK in 1984 as a trainee account handler
for Fletcher Shelton Delaney. After holding several agency positions in
this country, including a stint at Young & Rubicam, where she worked
with Hoare, she moved to the US where she became PepsiCo's
vice-president of marketing. Then she spent five years as Fallon New
York's president.

Bolton left JWT following a difficult year in which the agency lost
business including Samsung, Persil and Axa. He is now the chief
executive of WPP's Enterprise IG.

Hoare has been caretaking the chief executive role over the past two
months. He said: "Alison brings to JWT a broad international
perspective. She shares my passion for team-building and her experience
stands her in good stead."